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Hi all, I have been focusing on mobility again recently and have a recurring issue with pancake / middle splits progressions. When in pancake, when I hinge at the hips to move my body weight forwards, I feel a tightness and mild pain near to the right knee. I have used a partner to do the unlocking of the gracilis as per Kit's videos on YT. I've also done quite a lot of soft tissue work on the inner thigh with both a foam roller and a ball. After rolling this unlocks the area temporarily where I gain a greater pain-free range of motion. However, after some time spent there, the pain returns. From what I've read here and elsewhere this could be a ligament being stretched. A few other things that may be of note: 1. When I roll the inner thigh around the VMO, this causes electric shocks that resonate down towards the shin/ankle area. Any idea what causes these sensations? 2. I'm generally quite tight in the adductors and try to do a lot of frog work and squashed frog work with a partner as i'm able to get into full range in this stretch without any restriction. I also do a lot of Emmet Louis horse stance as that's another way I can do middle splits type of work without feeling anything in the knees. 3. Only the pancake / middle splits stretch bring up this restriction, as squatting, hamstring stretches are all fine. FWIW, I don't do any middle splits stretches that cause the pain more just something I am aware of as this is an area I've had issues historically. Thanks!

Dear all, I'm really enjoying the E1 Advanced Piriformis stretch in Master the pike. Unfortunately, I have torn ligaments in my superior tibiofibular joint (that little bony bump on the side of your knee), in my right knee, which means it is painful to do this stretch on my right side, as rotation or lateral movement in that knee is sore. As such, I am doing the advanced piriformis exercise on my left side, but on my right side I am doing E5A. Seated Piriformis from Master the Squat as this seems to be the only piriformis exercise I can tolerate, as I grab the knee/quad so there is no rotation/lateral force in the knee joint. I am wondering if I am opening myself up to left/right imbalances by doing this? Thanks!

This is only afffecting my left leg. During exercise 17, hamstring lunge and variations, I am experienced knee pain. As I push my body away from my left foot and straighten my leg, in order to intensify the stretch in my hamstring, I begin to feel a growing pain on the lateral and medial aspect of my knee. I don't feel a stretch in my hamstring at all prior to feeling the pain or during it. I'm guessing this could be due to calf tightness or just by me over doing the stretch and not taking enough rest? I also feel this sensation when I, from a standing position, flex at the waist and place my palms on the floor. When I begin to extend my knees I feel the same sensation. With no sensation in my gluteus or hamstrings.

Hi all, I have an issue with my right knee that is really holding up my squat progression; hoping someone will be able to point me in the right direction. A few years ago a large dog ran into the side of knee at speed, and needless to say it left me with a limp and knee pain for several weeks, mostly on the outside of my knee. Since healing it's always been a bit kind of unstable and prone to the odd twinge. I am not a runner or squatter or anything; in fact, my legs are pathetic compared to the much greater strength my upper body has, but I want to change this, and so thought that Coach Sommer is probably correct when he says one should master bodyweight squat work before moving on to weights. Thus, I am doing Foundation 1. A few months ago I hurt the same knee when on the 2nd week of the cross-legged squats in foundation one, it was the exact pain I had after the dog crash--on the outside of the knee. I always felt a pressure on the outside of the knee when performing these cross-legged squats, which should have told me that there was something that needed addressing first! I let the knee settle down and then decided that I probably needed to sort out my stiffness and imbalances which brought me to master the squat series. However, in doing some of the exercises, especially the Cossack squat (I'm careful not to let my arch collapse etc...), I find that I'm getting a niggle on the *inside* of my knee, which I can only attribute to something I'm doing in the master the squat series. I also noticed that staying in a cross-legged position on the floor for some time will inevitably make the inside knee sore, like a tugging twinge or sometimes just achey. I discovered today that even sitting on a chair cross-legged for 10 minutes or so caused the knee to start hurting. I don't know what to focus on to fix this as I thought I was doing the right thing by doing these exercises. I am eager to sort this as I really want to build some strength in my legs! Any ideas? All the best, Aaron